Ragnarok Chronicles
by Gvera Cross
Summary: Set in Norse Mythology universe( the way i imagine it). Set after the end of the world Ragnarok. So Asgard is peaceful the gods are reborn but a new treat rises. A mysterious force is raising the dead in the north of Asgardian lands other realms have their hand full with similar problems. Will the world face it's ultimate end?This time for ever?
1. Chapter 1

**Ragnarok Chronicles**

**Chapter 1: The Escape**

(This is based on Norse mythology and not the movies. Still I own next to nothing)

As the ancient seers predicted so very long ago Ragnarok fell upon Asgard with all of it's might. The mighty fortress was in ruin and the gods that once lived there were slain by the Chaos. A thousand years has passed since then and the gods have been reborn on earth. They have awoken from their slumbers and fought a long and hard battle to restore their former home. And now finally as the ancient seers predicted a new and peaceful world has risen from the ashes of the old one. However something's never change….

Loki restlessly tapped his fingers on the windowsill that he was currently sitting on. Ever since he woke up this morning the god of mischief was feeling restless. Never a good sign.

"This is so BORING!" He screamed in his mind" If I have to stay here for one more minute I'm going to go crazy" and just like that he had an idea. A wide grin appeared on his face."I think it's about time I went on a little journey"

Loki was the white haired god of mischief. The brother of Odin, thou not by blood. However Odin was one of the few gods who didn't return after Ragnarok and now his son was in rule of Asgard. Loki was not fond of Thor.

He hated the castle life , the protocol, the courtiers always surrounding him with false admiration and anything else that got in the way of his freedom. With untold pleasure Loki changer his royal golden robes for his old outfit. It made him look slightly like a jester. But he didn't mind it at all, after all he was the Trickster. A simple long-sleeved black tunic and harem pants accompanied by a white fur vest. But it wasn't an ordinary vest. It was long, nearly knee length and had a large hood. It hung loosely on the gods thin body. He wore shoes that had pointy noses and the tip of the shoes was turned into a spiral much like a traveling clown's. On his right wrist Loki wore three thin silver bracelets that made a clinging sound every time he moved his arm. On his left wrist he wore only two such bracelets. But his most favorite accessory was a golden mask. It covered the top half of his face, it had curving lines carved into its surface and instead of just empty gaps for the eyes Loki had put in white colored glass so no one would recognize him. Dressed like that he was all set to go.

The god of mischief had many reasons to hide. There wasn't a single person in all of Asgard who hasn't suffered misfortune at the hands of Loki. There might have been a few who could put with him before but now everyone blamed him for anything. And soon you will know why. The biggest reason is the Loki was directly responsible for bringing Ragnarok the destroyed the old Asgard and killed the Aesir. But Loki was already hated long before that. Ever since Odin brought him into Asgard he caused great suffering to many gods. For example he caused the death of Baldr, the son of the goddess Frigg. Once he has shaved the golden locks of the goddess Sif. He kidnapped Idunn the goddess of youth the guardian of the golden apples and caused many other troubles for the gods. Despite how this all may seem Loki was not an evil god. Thou many would disagree.

Loki didn't really care about what they thought of him. He quickly jumped out of his bedroom window, and just in time for a maid came looking for him for the morning meetings. Hiding behind bushes and hedges he successfully made his way to the stable yard. And oh what luck. The stable keeper had just brought in a new horse a beautiful black stallion. Other than the care taker there were two women down by the well. They weren't much of a threat. Slowly Loki moved closer and just before the man could see him jumped into a haystack. A wooden wagon stood near the hay waiting for the stack to be loaded into it. With a swift kick Loki sent the wagon across the yard. Confused the man let go of the reigns and went after the wagon. This was just what Loki needed. Dashing from his hiding spot he jumped onto the horse and rode off in the direction of the gate. Before the confused servants could do anything to stop him Loki used his magic and as the black horse jumped the spell lifted it above the gate. They landed on the other side, behind the walls of Asgard. However he still forced the horse forward at the same mad pace.

There was something about speed that made him feel good. But a horse got tired rather quickly. Steam rose from it's black body as the beast fell onto the grass. The horse was simply too tired to keep going but Loki didn't feel like stopping for a rest. There was a forest just up ahead. Loki climbed into a tree. He was good at climbing. He sat there on a thick branch just above the road. Soon enough an old man with a wagon full of hay appeared. Just as he was passing below Loki, he jumped without a sound and hid himself in the hay. The ride was slow but it was better than walking.

"It's going to take a while. I might as well take it easy" Loki thought and closed his eyes for a nap.

(Just something I thought up with my friends. Since Loki is the god of mischief I decided to give him a marching personality. I mean who's ever seen a mischief god with no sense of humor ? In that aspect the Avengers Loki was rather disappointing. Tell me what you think. R&R)


	2. Chapter 2

**Beast Mountain**

Loki woke up when he felt the wagon had stopped moving. He jumped out and since it was dark, he unseen rolled off the road. The wagon moved again. but Loki didn't care anymore. He was far from Asgard, in an unfamiliar wilderness, in the dark and alone. Loneliness didn't scare him. Loki was used to it.

Since it was dark and there weren't any people around to see him, Loki decided to fly. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering all the necessary runes. The rune of thorns-_**Thuris**_ to catch the wind. The rune of binds- _**Naudr **_to bind it. Finally the rune of power -_**Ur**_ to keep it from escaping. His finger quickly moved drawing the necessary symbols. And soon the glowing runes caught hold of a wind. Loki felt the energy of that particular wind surround him. His body slowly rose of the ground. Only a little bit at first. Loki leaned his body forward testing the speed. It was a young wind, too gentle for his liking. But soon he gained speed and began rising from the ground. Soon he was above the trees surrounding the path. He could see the wagon slowly moving below.

Loki spent the night flying. At first he joined a flock of owls out on a hunt. They told him bird things. Like the best places for a nest or that the mice have been very few lately. Something was wrong with the water. The stream seemed fine but the those who drink its water become ill. Owls not so much but the deer and the bears and the wolves became strange after drinking it. Also the trees around it seem to chance and die. Then he flew above the grassy meadows , scaring a herd of cows, at the same time. Finally he landed in the middle of a sheep pen and curled up into a tight ball, surrounded by the warm wools of the animals. It was the sheep that woke him up. They said the man will come with the tame wolf to collect their wool soon. It was dawning. He got out of the pen and walked back to the muddy road.

He hasn't eaten anything since last morning. At first he could ignore it but now it was getting on his nerves. Loki loved to travel but now he was reminded that it had it's down sides as well. Being used the luxuries of the castle he forgot how hard it is to find food in the wilderness. Of course he could turn himself into and animal and go hunting but that would be a huge inconvenience since it was now morning and the he could be seen. After walking for another long while the trickster noticed a split in the path. The wooden signs pointing in different directions. Loki smiled upon noticing the sign that said " Beast Mountain". No human in the right mind would ever go there unless he had a death wish. So after messing up the signs that they would all point at the wrong direction he went towards beast mountain.

The sun had reached zenith and the landscape began to look familiar. More trees appeared along the road. The grass was greener and there were no signs of human activity. But the biggest give away was the big wall of gray mountains. As Loki was walking down the rocky path he suddenly heard a loud flapping of wings. A huge shadow dashed above him accompanied by the sound of sheep bawing. The god of mischief looked above. As the thin clouds cleared he could see a majestic form of a birdrake flying up the mountain. It was black and it's scales were glowing in the sun. It had a long neck much like a dragon. But it's wings and body was partly covered in feathers. Those creatures lived in the caves near the mountain top. The birdrakes were the biggest reason why people avoided this place. But not Loki. It has been a while since he visited. He gave the bird dragon hybrid one last glance and made up his mind.

"I'm going to ride it"

It would have been easier to fly but Loki decided to climb all the way up. He used to come here before. To ride the giant cave bats. But riding a birdrake was probably a lot more fun. After climbing half way up the mountain he pulled himself on the wide ledge. Looking around he found the markings in the rock indicating that he was at the right place. Searching the gap in the stone he found his old saddle. Originally made for a bat but Loki thought it should do on a drake as well. Since he a little tired from climbing and because climbing a mountain while holding a giant bone saddle was problematic, Loki used an easier way to reach the creatures nest. He walked up the mountain. Simply walked, putting one leg in front of the other with his back facing the ground and his hair falling back ( the hood slipped off ages ago) like a stream of silver.

Finally he reached the ledge on which the birdrake had its nest. He put the saddle down slowly. The animal turned its head to him. The feathers surrounding its head rose up like an intimidating crown.

"Hi there" Loki greeted it.

The creature growled showing its mouth full of small but very sharp teeth.

"This is going to be interesting" Loki thought to himself.

(I know it doesn't look like it but this story has a plot. Really. But it's going to take a while. At least another four or five chapters until we get to the actual story. Later it will all make sense. I promise. ) __


	3. Chapter 3

**Dark Flames**

The flight was simply breath taking. The cold of the wind against his face as they were flying in the narrow space between two mountains at top speed. Sounds of the rushing river bellow them and the whistling of the wind blended together. The drake turned suddenly and gracefully around the sharp rock sticking out of the wall. Then the wall became more narrow and it flew on its side. Loki simply flattened himself to the saddle to avoid being knocked off by the walls of this tunnel, that were closing in. And then the narrow space ended. The birdrake seemed happy to get out of there for it rose into the sky above the mountain tops and did a loop and then did a free fall, spinning down into the ever still Moonpool.

The Moonpool. It lies at the heart of Beast mountain, at its highest point. It is a circular pool surrounded from all sides by tall mountains, only accessible through air. The mountain tops resemble a kind of crown therefore the valley is often called Crowned valley. The blue lake is home to some of the strangest fish, that can only be found here. The surface of the lake is always still and at night when the moon is full its reflection becomes so big it almost covers the whole lake. Ancient people have noticed this phenomena and named gave the lake it's name.

The birdrake was as fast under water as it was in the air. It dove into the deep and moved around incredibly fast. Loki didn't mind getting wet for a chance to see this. Silver flashed bellow. Then above, on the left and on the right. A flock of silver scaled giant fish swam around them. The drake chased after. It didn't take long before it shot back into the sky. Holding a fish twice its size.

On the shore Loki used the rune of heat- _**Sol**_ to surround himself in a burning hot aura and then _**Kaen- **_to light the camp fire. His winger companion was tearing into its dinner just around the tree. Loki sneaked up behind it's back and managed to get a few decent slices of fish. Impaling them on a stick he placed it over the fire. The sun was beginning to set down and by the time the fish was done it had gotten completely dark. The drake was asleep on a pile of twigs and small branches, a nest it built for the night.

Loki didn't go to sleep just yet. He was waiting for the moon. The first stars were already up and shining but the moon was still hidden by the mountains. The god of mischief leaned against a tree watching the lake. At some point his mind drifted off. He wasn't dreaming. It was more like an unconscious meditation than sleep. There were no dreams. He still aware of things around him. Loki could feel them. The grass the trees, the lake. They all had a feeling, each it's own. Beautiful lively green aura of the trees. Soothing and gentle blue lines – the currents of water moving off to somewhere. And then his own aura. Red and orange always shifting over one another like flames in a fire, for fire was after all his element. At the centre of his forehead was sat a very red _**Kaen**_- rune of chaos, destruction and wild fire. That was the symbol of the nature of his magic. Thou he was born in the land of Ice giants, he had the mark of fire.

As Loki observed his own aura it began to change. He wasn't sure of it but for a moment he thought he saw black appear in the friary red. An unsettling black shadow. Loki opened his eyes and he thought the flame in the camp fire had just turned back to red from black. Unconsciously the Trickster shivered. Was it just his imagination? But moments latter all was forgotten. The moon had risen and its silvery reflection has consumed the lake, just like the fire consumes the shadow. Or is it the other way around?


	4. Chapter 4

**Winds of Change**

Loki stayed of the mountain for another three days, but for some reason he was growing restless. The kind of restlessness not even the beautiful landscape could calm. He hasn't felt like that for a very long time. Just recently his dreams became haunted by the dead. Odin and Freya and for past few nights Sigyn. Oh, yes Sigyn, his beautiful wife. His loyal companion. Thou Loki never cared much for her, he had to admit he missed her company at times. He abused her endless love for him but she never left him. Yet now she was gone, one of the few gods who didn't return after Ragnarok. One of them being Heimdallr. But since he was the one who killed Loki during the battle, the god of mischief wasn't too sad about it.

But the image of the dead continued to plaque his mind. While the others were intimidating the images of his wife became more erotic. Loki assumed that this was caused by the lack of certain activities in his life but as strange it seemed his once wild lust has recently ran dry. In the old days he leave the palace for days only to sleep with as many women as he physically could. Appearing to the unsuspecting maidens in different forms only to reveal his true form in the end. Women feared and hated him for he would always leave them pregnant and the born child would always be a monster. Out of the many only a few of his spawn survived after birth. Among the lucky being his son Fenrir who was a huge wolf, and ate Odin during Ragnarok, something Loki was rather proud of. The world serpent Jormungadr and Hel or Hella, as some called her, the goddess of death and the dead. And the eight –legged horse Sleipnir, to whom Loki gave birth himself, as a mare.

But now it was different. Thou he hated to admit it, Loki felt lonely. Odin and Sigyn were the only people who would put up with enough to keep him company. But now they were gone. He told himself he ran to escape the boring life of the palace but what he really ran from always came along wherever he went. As much as it pained him he couldn't deny it anymore: he had changed. He wasn't the same Loki as before, he tried to act indifferent and carefree as always, and since nobody took the time to know him, nobody noticed the change. He couldn't run from it anymore. The biggest problem was the he had no idea what it was.

As he stood on the very top of the mountain he could see far across the land. The wind was blowing, thou not strong it and seemingly gentle it carried something strange. Loki felt it and it unsettled him even more. It was a strange and foreign wind. Not a good sign. From the mountain top he saw something else. Black clouds in the distance. So far away they seemed like a thin black line stretching across the horizon. A storm was coming. There were no storms in Asgard, not since Ragnarok. But the foreign winds were carrying it this way. Perhaps it'll pass without much harm. But Loki felt very uneasy for this strange new wind was caring sign of danger and tragedy. What change will it bring into their stable world? Only time will tell.


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Plaque**_

Loki transformed into a falcon. His bones shrank and his muscles reattached to the now hollow bone. Skin turned to feathers as his clothes fell from the mountain and the wind carried them off. Flapping his new wings the falcon made a few circles around the top of the mountain. Then he gracefully flew off into the chosen direction. For a while he was flying above green fields of grass that were divided by sandy roads and small streams of blue. Trees grew all over the place in groups or single. At some places like white polka dots, sheep decorated the otherwise plain arias of grass. Just a typical country side landscape.

Loki flew around enjoying the war sun and the light breeze. As much as he loved nature and all the crazy wildlife, in fact he preferred animals way more than humans, he need to get back to civilization. Thou it didn't mean he was going back to Asgard. There many villages scattered along the road. He knew all of them. He knew which one had the best inns, where to get the best food, where the girls were the prettiest. Looking around the place looked familiar , if memory served him right, he was close to one of those towns. The one that made the best ale, he remembered.

Speeding he flew into the direction of the town. Loki decided to stay there for a while, then travel even further north before turning back and slowly traveling towards Asgard. He saw the brown wooden roofs of the low houses from below but something didn't look right. The streets were empty. No merchants selling their goods by the fountain, no farmers at the fields, no mules pulling wooden carts along the street. Landing on a wooden fence in one of the farm fields Loki noticed that the grain was painfully neglected. There knee length weeds and all was dry and withering as if not watered for months. Turning back into his human form the god of mischief stood in the dried up field naked for a moment, before summoning his clothes back on. A falcon was far too small to wear human clothes and it was way to suspicious for a falcon to carry them in a bundle.

Now fully dressed Loki explored the village. There was no sign of human life and not just that. Not only humans but animals as well have disappeared. By accident he stumbled into one field that was reformed from working land into a graveyard. Tens of wooden crosses stuck out of the ground that one gave great amounts of wheat.

" All these graves have been dug recently" Loki noticed" what happened here. This graveyard wasn't here before. So many dead and all in short time. Something is wrong here."

As he left the village and traveled north Loki felt the uneasiness inside of him growing. On his way he passed some single homesteads. All abandoned. Some had graves beside them as well. Halfway to the other village Loki finally came into contact with another human being. Dressed in black robes and wearing a strange bird like mask with a long beak, but definitely human.

"Hello my Goodman" Loki greeted" It is rather nice to see someone alive for a change. Where have all the people gone? "

"Haven't you hears sir? A terrible plaque has the land in its grip. It started much further in the north but now it's spreading like wildfire. "

"A plaque, you say?"

"Yes, sire. It's nothing like we've ever seen. No cure works. And there are strange rumors going about."

"Such as?"

"Monsters in the north. Not giants, something unseen before. And the tales of the dead rising from their graves. I advise you to not venture any further. You'll find nothing but disease and death there."

"Thanks for the warning but I'd rather see it with my own eyes." Loki say as he felt the wind blowing into his face and within that wind he sensed something that terrified him. Magic. The kinds off he hasn't felt in a very long time. This only confirmed what he first thought: something is very wrong here.

(Hi, I just thought I'll clear it up if it wasn't clear from the story . the man Loki met is a plaque doctor. You can look up a picture on Google. Also Review.)


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Undead**_

(The end of the world is about to begin. Review now and you'll be granted magical protection.)

Loki had been walking for a long while. He passed more abandoned villages. Things were not looking good. He used the magical rune of insight- _**Bjarkhan, **_to track the lingering trace of magic in the air. The trail was thin like a tread and black mixed with a toxic green in colour but very hard to track. At some points it was almost invisible. After a particular long day of traveling it seemed he had completely lost trace of the evil magic. The god of mischief found himself in yet another empty settlement. This one was even in worse state than others. It was probably one of the first that got infected.

It was getting dark and Loki was tired after walking all day. His human for was the only form with the ability to see magic and using that ability put a lot of strain on his eyes. After using it all day he really just wanted to drop right there on the sandy path and sleep but he kept going until he found a place that looked good enough to spend the night. It was a two story wooden house. The door was on the floor and the windows were broken much like everywhere else but this place had a certain vibe. It was less polluted with that vile magic than the other homes. Entering the house Loki saw the possible reason. Right in front of the door nailed to the wall was small wooden cross with holy symbols upon it.

There was only one room down stairs so the trickster god climbed upstairs. There were two rooms. both tiny in size. The first one had no door, it was taken of the hinges. The other had a door with a broken lock. Both rooms had beds but the bed sheets and the mattresses were gone.

"Bandits" Loki thought to himself" like a bunch of vultures drawn to the dying village." He settled in the empty wardrobe using his fur vest as a blanket. Just before going to sleep he made a magical net using mostly _**Yhr**_- the rune of protection and _**Os-**_the rune of the seer, the one that allows to see what the eyes cannot.

It's true, this part of the world was not safe. Most parts were okay, but farther north a group of bandits calling themselves the Red Wolf gang were at large. Rumors went on that the leader of the group had magical powers. Not that Loki assumed that some petty bandit would have the power to do all this. No, the bandits must have heard about the plague and when the villages began to empty out they came and took what was left.

Loki was awoken from his slumber and it took him some time to comprehend what was going on. It was still dark so he wasn't asleep for long. He felt a tugging in his magic. The seer has picked up something. Loki closed his eyes and for a moment he's vision expanded to beyond the tiny room or the house he was in. Torches, voices in the night, a horse galloping, swords clashing, and shadows moving. Something else coming from behind. Tree groups. Men in armor and the others. A fight. What the knights didn't know was that from behind something was approaching. Loki tried to estimate the distance and he was surprised that the location he saw was nowhere near here.

The vision moved closer to Loki. It seems that something was coming here as well. He could not see what. He saw the men clearly, but he couldn't see the others, they left no trail. All living things had their own magical trail but the whatever was approaching he couldn't distinguish it from the shadows of the night for it had no colour, no trail of inner magic or life.

Loki decided that remaining in human form was dangerous. He shifted into an owl and flew out the broken window into the nearby woods. He slept in a tree for the rest of the night. When the sun rose the mischief god awoke and transformed back into his human form. Then he summoned his clothes and got dressed. He looked around the forest. It seemed he had flown deeper into the woods than he had thought. He wandered around the forest trying to get back on the open road when he stumbled into a clearing full of dark gray tents. There were wagons and barrels and crates with rotten food and weapons. The flags with a red wolf head marked almost every tent. This was the bandit camp. But it was empty.

One of the crates caught his attention. It was full of wheat but the grain were a dirty green and black colour. The trail of magic was also strong around it.

"Could the grain have been the cause of this plaque? " Loki took a handful of the grain and put in into a leather pouch this needed to be looked into. " The fools must have taken it from the village. So that must mean they caught the plague too. I don't see any graves here."

Wandering around the forest Loki ended up near the graveyard. The metal fence was rusted and had holes in many places. There was a stone road going by the gate. But under the shade of tall trees the place didn't look inviting.

The newest graves were at the far right ends of the cemetery. The dates reached from two months ago to a month ago. That was the time when the plague had reached this region. As Loki walked among rows of wooden crosses he noticed that most of the new graved, even thou it said the person was buried two months ago, were dug recently. As if someone had dug up the dead and then buried them again.

Upon closer inspection the god of lies noticed footprints in the freshly piled soil. Footprints and handprints that were so bony one might think they were left by a skeleton. And then Loki remembered the rumors of the dead rising from their graves. He went pale.

"We have a big problem"

(Now the real plot of the story begins, sorry for the wait. Tell me what you think, ok? That would really help. Maybe some ideas or stuff to add?)


	7. Chapter 7

_**Shadowed Days, Clouded Future**_

Loki sat on the stone wall of the last remaining human fortress. The knights found him the day before yesterday. There was about two hundred amend soldiers and the remaining survivors from the surrounding villages. About three hundred people in total. They have secured this part of the giant city- the part on the other side of the river was already overrun with undead.

Last night Loki saw them for the first time. They were more than just skeletons from horror tales. Human bodies with rotten remains of flash on their bones and the stench of death and decay. Unlike most people imagine, they were neither slow nor weak. Women and even little children, were marching towards the gates. The sight made his stomach turn. But none the less Loki joined the fight. To kill one of these risen dead it's body had to be destroyed completely. Loki took out at least five with his fireballs. Apparently that was more than the guards were able to kill al month. They lost a lot of men but made no progress in killing undead.

Loki showed the leader of the knights the infected grain. The man only confirmed it. The plague began when a strange caravan from the north came, delivering grains to the villages along the road. However they had no idea that the plague was magical in nature.

The news were unsettling. If this keeps up then soon whole Asgard will be overrun by undead. Someone was doing this for a reason. But who, and why? Who would need to turn all of Asgard or perhaps all the nine realms into the living dead? Loki needed more evidence so he cast a teleportation spell to take him to the land of the dead. If there was anyone who might know it was Hel.

Loki stood on the shores of a mountain river in front of a dark cave. He summoned his regal robes and with caution stepped into the darkness. There were twisting stairs leading down but in the dark it was impossible to see them. They were small and there was about a million of them. Yet Loki walked down with no difficulty. He didn't summon any light just because of the things he knew that were lurking in the dark. There are some creatures in this world that should never be seen.

At the end of the stairs was another cave but this time illuminated by a strange green glow. There were crystals growing from the walls of the tunnel. At some points waves of green light would pass through them. There were many small gaps in the walls and other tunnels. At one point Loki caught a glimpse of a giant hairy spider leg coming out of one of them. Thou he knew giant spiders were not the worst creatures' down there. These tunnels went deep into the earth reaching the underground River of Eternal Dreams and even going beyond it, to the gates of the Black Fortress.

Loki found himself in a round room. Two more tunnels leading off into different directions. The passages lit by green burning torches. In the middle of the room a figure wrapped in a black cloak stood. Strands of black and white hair were flowing from under the large hood.

In truth Hel was quite hideous and terribly conscious of it too. Half of her hair was white and the other black. Her skin was black on the side where her hair was white and white like milk where her hair was black. One side of her face was that of a young woman the only abnormality being her yellow eye. On the left side however her face a dark unhealthy color and resemble a skull more than a human face. Her eye was had a red pupil and the rest of it was black it was also bigger than her right one. Hel was skinny to a point where she differed barely from a skeleton.

" You're looking well" Loki started.

"Why have you come here, father?" she hissed at him.

"Does a father need a reason to see his daughter?"

"Spare me your lies. Have you come to mock more?" her voice laced with malice

"How are things with the dead? All is in order?"

"What concern you have for the dead?"

" There is a slight a problem in the lands above. You see the dead just won't stay dead. "

" Is this one of your tricks?"

"I assure you I am very serious. A plague has been spreading across the northern parts for almost two months killing towns folk and turning them into the living dead."

"A plague? And yet not single soul has come through. Not a soul in two months" Hel looked shocked.

"What do you make of this?" He tossed the bag with the contaminated grain" This seems to be the source of the plague."

"It's magic, but the kinds of I've never seen."

"I know. Not since the Great War anyway. "

"You can't mean ….Surtur…"

"What else is there to think when the dead start rising from their graves? Did you notice anything strange going on around the black fortress?"

"It has been ten thousand years, father. You don't really think he's alive?"

"Maybe not but don't forget there are more like him. Beyond the gates of the black fortress. In any case, notify me if anything comes up." Loki said" I need to get back, it's time to report to Asgard."


	8. Chapter 8

Jotunheim Calls

Loki stood in the balcony of his room reflecting on his meeting with Thor. He supposed it could have gone worse.

After Ragnarok Odin wasn't reborn as most of the gods did. So now Thor was the king of Asgard and the new leader of the gods. He ruled together with his wife the beautiful goddess Sif. It was a peaceful morning and Thor had just taken a seat in his golden throne when Loki burst in like crazy.

"What is the meaning of this Loki?" the god of thunder asked, his hair blazing red in the rising sun

"I bring news from the north" the god of lies responded, slightly out of breath

"What new could you possibly bring?" Sif remarked" Lies and nothing more"

"Hear me, Thor. A plague has the northern parts of the kingdom in its grip."

"A plague? I heard of no such thing" Thor said in an indifferent tone

" That's not all. You see this is no ordinary plague. Those who die of it return to this world as the living dead."

"Living dead?" Sif gave a laugh" See Thor what did I tell you, all lies"

"It is the truth" Loki said , he was starting to lose his patience" I have proof!" He gave Thor the bag with the cursed grain." This is causing the plague. Apparently a caravan came from the north distributing these grain to villages."

"Where is it now?" Thor asked, his voice serious

"Nobody knows. It was traveling this way, but then it would have reached Asgard weeks ago."

"How do we know this isn't one of your jokes" Sif asked her voice full of mistrust

"There is no doubt that the grain has magic in it" Thor said

"Well maybe he's the one who cursed it" the woman remarked

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me but unfortunately I have nor the knowledge not the power to raise the dead." Loki knew what Sif might say next and responded before she could even say it" I've already talked to Hel. Even thou a plague has been raging for over two months now, no soul has passed on into the underworld."

"If what you tell me is true then Asgard is indeed in great danger" Thor said running a hand through his bronze colored beard.

"If you still doubt my words then take the road north, a weeks journey from here is the last remaining fortress of human survivors that is in desperate need of rescue" He said turning to Sif.

"Tell me Loki, what do make of these events?" Thor asked

"This is like nothing I have ever seen. There is a great chance that this magic and the one using it isn't from a world that is beyond the nine realms."

"Then from where?"Sif was still skeptical about the whole thing

Loki paused and gave a sigh, what he was about to say was taboo and would sure cause a negative reaction, but none the less had to be said.

"I think that who's ever doing this is an outsider from beyond the Black Fortress."

There was silence. Sif looked shocked Thor fell silent and looked at the other god as if trying to understand if what he said was a lie or not.

"Thor, you don't really believe him?" Sif snapped out of it first

"What else is there to think" the king of Asgard finally spoke" when the dead walk among the living." Still feeling slightly skeptical about this himself Thor turned to his wife " Sif I want you to take a group of men and go find the survivors that Loki spoke of. I will have the scholars of Asgard analyze this grain, and I will also sent a search party for this mysterious caravan."

"And I shall assist you" Loki said" Thou I really don't think that the frost giants are involved in this, the caravan came from the north and it might have passed through Jotunheim. I will search for a trail there"

"Very well" Thor responded" Do as you see fit"

After the god of mischief left to prepare for the journey Sif turned to her husband with a questioning look in her blue eyes.

"You shouldn't trust him so much"

"My father has trusted his judgment and that alone has saved Asgard for many times" said Thor in a tone that indicated this topic was closed.

In his room Loki began packing for his trip to the land of eternal ice. He wasn't looking forward to this. After the gods have been reborn and returned to their home they found Asgard overrun by frost giants. A fierce battle took place. Even after they were driven back the jotuns didn't stop their assaults on the weakened Asgard. In was only after Thor , Sif and Loki went to Jotunheim and defeated their new king that they finally gave up. It was fierce battle and it was miracle that they won. One thing was certain the god of mischief was not going to receive a warm welcome.


	9. Chapter 9

Dancing Black Flame

Loki slowly made his way through the white fields of snow. There was nothing but snow and ice in Jotunheim. The grey sky hung above threatening with storms of ice and strong winds. Even thou it was still day there was little light. The god of mischief used his magic to make three fire orbs that circled around him, lighting the path.

It was silent and this lack of sound put Loki on edge. The only sounds were those of his footsteps in the snow and the occasional gusts of arctic wind blowing through. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. The place looked familiar to the god of lies. On the left was blue trail of the frozen river on the right hills of white snow. He was sure that he had been there before. Carefully sliding down the hill on which he was standing Loki went to get a closer look. Something surfaced in the back of his mind. The snow was red with blood.

Loki shook his head. The snow was white just like always. Then suddenly he remembered. It was some time ago, when he Thor and Sif went to fight against the king of Jotunheim. The trio were ambushed in this very spot. Frost giants appeared from everywhere. They were surrounded by seemingly an endless army. They fought but even Thor couldn't defeat them, more just kept showing up. It was when the enemy brought in snow ogres that the gods realized they might not make it out alive. Sif was already knocked out and the two were trying to protect her body from the approaching monsters. Soon Thor was captured by the ogres and the creature attempted to break him in two. Loki managed to distract the creature so the god of thunder could break free but he had too many broken bones to fight. Soon after Thor was out of it too. Loki was left alone to fend off the horde of frost giants and ogres. He had been beaten, tossed and kicked around like a rag doll. On the verge of death, he was certain of it, certain that this is the end for all of them. And then his mind went black. He didn't remember anything that happened during that time or how long he was like that but when he opened his eyes the snow was red with blood and there was not a single giant in sight. Another thing Loki noticed was that his hands were covered with blood that reached up to his shoulders. He had no memory of doing this but it seemed he was the one who killed the frost giants. Another strange thing that the god of lies noticed was that all of his injuries had healed during that time. He carried the unconscious Thor and Sif out of that place and nursed them back to health. He told them a lie about escaping from the enemy.

Until this day the events of that night remained a mystery. The memory made something inside of him stir. Not wanting to stay in that place any longer Loki left heading towards the cave in which he stayed with Thor and Sif during their last visit. The night in Jotunheim were much colder than the days and the darkness was so thick that it was impossible to see with the help of magic. Another problem was that because of the gray sky it was dark all the time so there was no way to tell when the sun will set. It would just suddenly turn pitch black.

While walking on the frozen river Loki noticed something moving under the water. This didn't look good. It was too big to be a fish and too long for that matter. Not wanting to think about it he hurried off the ice. The cave wasn't much further.

Loki finally arrived at his destination. It wasn't big or wide but that just meant the there was no danger of it being inhabited by something. Loki lit a magical fire and cast a few protection spells before drifting off into light slumber. He was awakened by the tingling in his magic. The protection spell picked something up. Loki got up but not fast enough. Five frost giants were standing at the entrance. Jumping to his feet the god of mischief prepared to fight.

"As much as I would to grind your bones into dust , traitor" the largest of the group spoke" the leader gave us orders to investigate the disturbance. He will decide what to do with you."

For a moment Loki was confused. He and Thor had killed the last leader of the frost giants. How could they have found a new one so fast? He decided to play along just because he was curious. As they left the cave he noticed two giant mammoths standing outside. This was rather surprising. Jotuns have always done battle on foot, never really acknowledging the tactical advantage of riding mounts of any sort. Loki was seated between four jotuns armed with spears. As they moved through the snow there was no sound. The god of lies realized to his own dismay that it was magic, mammoths were large therefore one of them running would cause a lot of noise. Jotuns were mostly brutes, magic was beyond their understanding and the few who did poses the ability could only do something as amateurish as freezing water or making colorful lightning balls. This was not the work of a jotun. Another thing that served to confirm his theory was a white orb in the front of the large saddle, it appeared to be showing the way and most jotuns were wearing some kind of crystal glasses that allowed them to see in the dark.

Unlike Loki had assumed, the giants were not taking him to the royal city. They passed many abandoned jotun settlements. The ice housed shattered and left empty. It's true that most of this was Thor's work. Jotunheim suffered greatly during the war. Cities in ruin, more than half of its population dead, left leaderless in these desperate times. But it seemed that the frost giants were making a recovery rather fast.

They have finally arrived. The place looked like a refugee camp. It was located on a mountain, the tall tops surrounded it from all sides, fending off the cold winds. There were white tents all over the place. Wooden pens for mammoths and farm animals, and signs of attempts at farming. To Loki that was a big surprise. Jotuns were wandering hunters, settlements were mostly inhabited by women and children, the cold weather and frozen land made it impossible to grow crops. The guards led him to the largest tent at the end of the camp.

Loki was expecting to see a frost giant so he was very surprised to see a human. It was an elderly man with long gray hair and bear that reached his waist, the man was dresses in white robes and had wooden staff.

"I sensed a dark presence and sent my scouts to investigate" the man gestured for Loki to sit" never thought I would be seeing you, son of Ragnarok"

"What did you just call me?" Loki said surprised

"Forgive me, I meant no offence" the man spoke politely" allow me to explain. There are two forces that rule the lives of all Order and Chaos. You probably already know this. Chaos has another name, Ragnarok. As you already know magic has come into existence out of that Chaos, only those who are born out of the dark power are able to use magic. People like you and myself and even demons such as Surtur are mere fractions of the great beast."

Loki considered the man's words for a second.

"You seem to know a lot about Chaos. Them maybe you know that somebody has created a magical plaque that has been turning people into undead"

"Indeed " the man replied" however I assure you that none of it is my doing. I hold no interest in such things." The man took a silver horn from the wall and blew into it, but there was no sound, instead food and drink appeared on the table"

"Then you could help us fight" Loki was determined to get as much as he could out of this mysterious old man

"It would be unwise for me to endanger my people. Jotunheim has suffered greatly during the last war" the elder replied" and I am not young anymore."

"Why do you care so much about Jotunheim? You're not even a frost giant." Loki argued. There was something odd about the old man

"And why do you care so much about the fate of Asgard, the city built by the sons of order, when you yourself are of chaos?" the white wizard asked" It's really all the same thing"

"Then what are we supposed to do? Just sit there and wait until the dead overrun us"

"The only way to fight Chaos ir with Order. You have great power inside of you, but be wary, should you fail to bring order into chaos it will consume you"

"I'm not sure I understand" Loki admitted.

"All in good time my friend"

Loki had dinner with the wizard and later he showed the god around the camp.

"The mountains shield us from the cold winds and storms. The mountain springs provide us with hot water and the mountain gives us ore and coal. There is still much to be done but in a few years I believe Jotunheim will be back on its feet"

"Just what do you plan to do when that happens?" Loki asked with mistrust in his voice.

"I told you, war holds no interest for me. Besides I have a feeling that the people Jotunheim are tired of it. they lost too much to the violent tides of war. I have given them a promise of a peaceful life at a new and prosperous world and I plan to keep it" the wizard said calmly

After a tour around the camp the wizard showed Loki to the hot springs. By diverting the underground stream into three giant stone pools the jotuns made a little paradise on the mountain side. Hot steam melted the snow away and warmed the ground just enough for flowers to grow around the pools.

Sitting in hot water Loki had to admit that he liked this side of Jotunheim a lot better. warm steam was floating around while small snowflakes danced in the air. the god of lies guessed that the wind blew them here from the other side of the mountain. He rose his head to the sky, it was clear with twinkling stars. The wizard wasn't that bad, even thou mysterious. He actually reminded Loki of Odin just a little. It also reminded him of how much he missed the old general.

Loki still remembered the day he met Odin. It was during the Great war. Loki was six years old but he already mastered his powers of magic. It was odd because no one in his family could use magic. That had led his father to question the faithfulness of his mother many times. They left their real home when the war reached Jotunheim. Renegade soldiers that ran from the real war ravaged Jotunheim while the giants were away at war. After wondering for weeks they found a log cabin near the woods. After staying there for months they ran out of food and the wood empty because the beasts have fled.

They were starving from months when two soldiers passed by. They have stolen a merchants cart full of supplies. His parents begged them to share some, the men agreed in exchange for physical comfort. Loki's mother was pregnant at the time but his father shouted hoping his son would get the hint.

"We have a daughter, Loki. You can have her" the boy heard his father's voice through the wooden door.

The soldiers barged into the room.

"Are you blind old man? There's no girl here!" one of the soldiers shouted

"Hell, I don't even care anymore" his friend said" Come here, kid"

Loki was scared. The two men terrified him. He turned himself into a tiny white mouse and escaped outside through a crack in the wall. Once he was far away he changed back into a boy. The small wooden house was burning an open flame and there was no sign of the two men. Scared that the soldiers might come after him little Loki ran into the woods. He didn't know how many days went by but he reached the forest road. Weak and tired he sat by the road. That when he heard horses approaching. Too tired to run he just sat there, he didn't even care he got killed. Two armored men rode past him, suddenly they turned around and went back. Five more people appeared. They all spoke in a language Loki could not understand. The group stopped near him a man approached him. He had short grey hair but his bear was long and tied into braids. The man had a helmet with horns and was missing one eye.

"Tell me your name boy" he asked in gentle tone

"Loki"

"Are you out here all alone little Loki?"

The boy nodded not having enough strength to speak.

"And by any chance, you can use magic?"

The boy nodded again not sure how anyone found out about his powers.

"Well then. little Loki, how about we make a deal? Come with me and you will never have to feel cold or hungry or alone. I will take you back to my home, Asgard, and you'll help me to teach everybody magic"

"Asgard, really?" the boy was overwhelmed" and all I have to do is teach you magic? Sure, I'll come"

The was how Loki first met Odin. During the great war Asgard and Jotunheim fought on the opposite sides. Asgard stood for order while the frost giants fought for chaos alongside demon king Surtur. Asgard was losing, because the enemy had a powerful weapon – magic. Loki was the one who told Odin the secrets of magic and that forever branded him as a traitor. Asgard won the war, Surtur was sealed behind the gates of the black fortress and the Vanir were taken back to Asgard as war prisoners. Later on they joined the side of Order and stood alongside the Aesir during many battles.

The next day Loki met the wizard outside of the camp.

"My men will escort our safely through the ice plains. But before you go there is something I would like to show you" the wizards placed a round flat stone in front of Loki" There is great potential in you. And I would like you to move this stone, but not with spells" he added noticing the look on Loki's face" that you can already do, but by sending your magic into it. that is no easy task " The man stated

Loki sat down staring at the stone. After a while he decided that it would be easier if he closed his eyes. He knew that there were many different forms of magic but he never tried them, to him magic was more an instinct than anything else. It just happened, he was never sure why or how. But this time it was different. He could see his own aura. Red was flowing around him. He focused on the red and tried to make it flow into the stone. He opened his eyes and saw the stone burst into black flames. When the fire went out there was only a pile of dust.

"That's not what it wanted it to do" Loki complained

"The thing with Chaos it , it never does what one would expect." The wizard said " But you already know that, don't you?"

Ok folks this chapter 9. I just want to clear one thing up. The white wizard is not Gandalf, also his isn't Odin. Odin is not coming back but we will be seen The Memory of Odin once in a while along with other memories. How that works you'll find out in other chapters. Read and review.


	10. Chapter 10

Voices

Loki and a group of jotun scouts were headed towards the far wall of Jotunheim. The frost giants were not very happy about being assigned to this escort mission but they obeyed the wizard and didn't anything. This amazed the god of lies, how quickly the violent jotuns have changed all because of some old man.

As they were crossing the Ice plains Loki felt something before he could do or say anything a huge tentacle broke the ice and snatched one of the rider from the front of the group. Few more dark green tentacles rose from the frozen water searching for prey. Suddenly Loki remembered seeing movement under the ice. Why didn't he say anything before, how could he forget.

" What is the thing" he asked the nearest guard

"Filthy spawn of Kraken, he's been giving us trouble for some time now" the guard threw a spear at the monster but it had little effect on the monster.

Then a huge dark head rose from the water. Loki knew he had to do something before they all ended up in the belly of the beast. The Kraken was magical by origin therefore immune to most magic.

"Think. There's got to be something you can do" Loki tried to find a spell that would be effective" There goes something" he closed his eyes and tried to send his magic energy over to the Kraken.

To the bewilderment of the jotuns the monster burst into flames. It gave a loud roar of pain and dove under the water. The captured guards escaped its tentacles and started to swim back to shore. Meanwhile Loki felt like he was going to pass out. His head hurt like it was about to explode. Without realizing he collapsed and his mind began to drift into darkness.

Loki found himself in a dark place. Nothing but darkness and swirling purple smoke. He began to suspect he might be dead but just then he heard a voice from the dark.

"_**More. I want more. Give more power. Give me more death. Give me destruction**_"

Loki woke up on a bed of furs on the back of one of the giant mammoths. The northern sky was decorated by the rainbow lights dancing above. The god of mischief slowly sat up. His head was still spinning.

"What happened to me?" he asked looking around

"The black fire, did you do that?" one of the guards asked

Loki just nodded.

The jotuns fell silent for a moments. Still feeling dizzy Loki laid down and just stared at the northern lights until he fell asleep.

Ever since the incident with the Kraken the frost giants seemed to hold more respect for Loki. They didn't make jokes about killing him in his sleep anymore at least. The journey was reaching its end. The southern wall of Jotunheim was drawing near. This route was a different one than the one Loki took. It was longer and it entered Asgardian lands from the north west. The wizard thought this might help escape the undead that were ravaging the eastern parts.

Night has already fallen over Asgard by the time Loki returned. Concealing his presence he climbed into his room through the window. He began preparing for bed when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. There in front of his chamber door stood a woman, a specter of grey, his long dead wife Sigyn. Loki fell to his knees in disbelief.

"Sigyn" he shook his head" it can't be you, you're dead"

The specter approached, her long grey dress flapping behind her.

"Loki" she spoke his name

He half convinced himself this was a dream but when her hand touched his cheek she felt solid, she felt real not -a disembodies spirit. He took her hand with his own afraid to lose the contact .

"What's happening to me" he asked in a whisper

"Dark times are coming, you need to stay strong my love" she drew back and her form grew pale and transparent.

"Sigyn, wait" Loki begged

The woman just shook her head

"I love you" he whispered

"I know" she smiled and vanished without a trace.

Loki felt tears stinging his eyes. Seeing his wife again after he had excepted her death brought back the pain. The memories he pushed into the far corners of his mind came rushing back. He spent an uneasy night

One particular memory he desperately tried to push out of his mind. It was about two years after he married Sigyn. He knew she loved him absolutely but he never returned her love. He spent most of his night sleeping with other women or travel to faraway lands with no word when he's coming back. But after one night when returned home particularly drunk and angry Sigyn got pregnant. It was soon after the baby was born that Loki pulled one of his famous pranks. Loki was to be punished but since he knew Odin, he knew the punishment will be an easy one. The was until Sigyn stepped in.

"Please, almighty general. I beg you spear my husband. Punish me instead of him. He's just become a father, please let him stay at his sons side"

Odin raise his eyebrow at her words and turned to Loki with a questioning look. The god of mischief only gave him an apologetic smile.

"I didn't tell me you've become a father" Odin spoke" Rampaging like a savage, is that any way for a father to behave? No I think not. " the Allfather fell silent in thought for a moment" You have a lovely wife, Loki, one that loves you dearly and now you have a son as well, and yet you prefer the company of wild beasts to that of humans. I don't think you're mature enough to father a future warrior, really you'd be better off fathering an animal." And with that their baby was turned into a wolf cub.

Fenrir. That's what she named him.

"Why did you have to interfere you stupid woman!"Loki shouted on her walking back to his chamber" I would have solved it easily, no of this would have happened if it weren't for you! You damn useless woman!"he turned around and slammed her against the wall" You will tell no one of this, you understand?! That thing is not my son, not anymore! I'll get rid of it and don't even try to stop me" he hisses at her and walked away, he knew if he turned around she would have that smile on her face, he hated it.

Soon after he released Fenrir into the wilds of Jotunheim to live with a pack of wolves. He spent his night in the library working on a spell that could reverse the transformation but Odin's magic was no match for his own. Thou in time he managed to partly lift the spell. It wasn't enough for him to remain human all the time but it helped him to retain his human mind even in wolf form. He never told anyone of this. He simply denied the whole thing ever happened and for those who pried any further he would simply reply that his latest lover in Jotunheim had a puppy.

It was the time of dawn. After a restless night Loki felt weary. He tossed and turned in his bed half asleep and half awake ,yet unable to awaken completely. He found himself in a dark dungeon corridor. The same thick darkness from before. The same roaring voice from before echoed through the darkness.

"**I hunger. I thirst. I need more. War, Destruction, Death. I hunger for more"**

Loki jumped in his bed drenched in cold sweat. Whatever happened to him was getting worse. The only thing that he knew for sure was that this mysterious voice was somehow linked to his newfound power. He needed to figure things out, the sooner the better.

Wow I can't believe it chapter ten. And it will probably be another ten until I finish this. Who knows maybe I'll divide into different stories if this gets too long.


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